Petlakow Pe-2 1945r.

Kraków 2010-02-26

016c Section June 06, 1945

Petlakow Pe-2

Poland

Construction

The Pe-2 is a bomber, low-wing, completely metal, with two engines and a retractable landing gear. Three-person crew. The plane bombed from a diving flight. During the mass production, wood was often used instead of steel in the back of the fuselage.

Straight wing with rounded ends, double-girded. A typical 30-year outline. Steel girders. On the trimming of the wings of the crocodile flaps and shuttlecocks.

The fuselage began to nose, which was glazed at the bottom. There was a bomb-sniper sight operated by a navigator-navigator who usually took his place behind the pilot. Next was the pilot's cabin and the navigator-gunner. Initially, the navigator-shooter, in order to shoot from a kilometer, had to transfer miles from one window to another. A moving turret has been used since the Pe-2 FT version. A bomb chamber was located in the fuselage. Behind the bomb chamber was placed the position of the lower gunner-radio operator. He sat in a separate cabin. The fuselage was slim to get as little aerodynamic resistance as possible. The fuselage itself is a half-shell structure. But the frames are rare. Only four beams ran along the fuselage, and there were no stringers. The lack of rigidity of the construction resulted in a thicker skin. As it turned out, this solution was sufficient and was a strong point of the plane.

The crew cabins were extremely tight and the visibility left much to be desired. Maximum flight ceiling not achieved due to non-hermatic cabins. In high-altitude flights, the airmen used oxygen masks. The pilot's cabin was equipped with all kinds of equipment to help during the flight. The pilot had an artificial horizon and RPK-2 radio computer. There was no autopilot, which, however, did not reduce the combat capabilities of the Pe-2, which was to operate in close proximity to the front, and hence, at short distances from their own airports. The cabin was armored with 9 mm sheet near the pilot and 6 mm with the navigator. Aerodynamic brakes with an AP-1 machine have been added to the fuselage, so that the signal from the sight can be easily retrieved from a diving flight or when certain flight parameters are exceeded. The automaton, however, was unreliable and with time it was given up by controlling the aerodynamic brakes completely by hand.

The tail in the H-system. Horizontal with a considerable straightness. Vertical double with an oval outline.

The control system uses electric actuators. A total of over 50 pieces. However, over time, they were replaced with hydraulic amplifiers. The electrical system was left only for fuel pumps, chassis releasing and discharging, and tail wheel control.

Power train the Pe-2

Two Klimow engines WK-105 R / RA piston 12-spindle, fork, with power of 2 x 820 kW (2 x 1 100 HP). Turbocharged engines were used later. Two-speed turbochargers were used. The engines became stronger and received the designation WK-M-105 PF. Their power increased to 2 x 1 210 hp.

A three-blade metal propeller was used, it was rotatable, with variable pitch adjustment thanks to the hydraulic reducer, which was built under the Hamilton-Standard license.

Oil coolers are placed in the wings. Air inlets for cooling are placed in the leading edge of the wings, and outlets through the blinds on the upper surface of the wings.

The engines were a successful construction. But careless production and low-quality raw materials from which it was made, caused many operational problems. Oil leaks often occurred. The cooling system was not very efficient, which often led to overheating. And finally, during the operation almost overnight, he lost his power.

The aircraft was able to carry bombs of various types ranging from spatter to storming to special (chemical, illuminating) with a maximum mass of 1 000 kg. The biggest bomb that Pe-2 could take was the FAB-500, which was placed in the main bomb chamber. In addition to her, there was also a small 100 kg bomb placed closer to the tail. As mentioned earlier, 600 kg of armaments entered the hatch in various configurations, and the remaining bombs (400 kg) were suspended outside the hull. The maximum dive angle is set at 70 degrees.